


When the Unbendable Cracks

by scrumptiousdefendorofaang



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Aang (Avatar)-centric, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Panic Attacks, Precious Aang (Avatar), Protective Katara (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29450595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrumptiousdefendorofaang/pseuds/scrumptiousdefendorofaang
Summary: Aang suffers from the pressure everyone puts on him. He just feels cold and like a plastic bag drifting through the wind. It is a good thing he has Katara.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	When the Unbendable Cracks

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic ever! Feedback is welcomed. I don't own ATLA. (obviously)

Loneliness settled into his bones like the cold. He could only take so much of this. Constantly having to remember that he is alone and that no one else alive remembers them. He was never good and confronting his problems and true to his roots he wants to run away. Run until he can’t feel the buzzing anxiety anymore. Until he can’t remember the reasons he feels it in the first place. Even though he knows forgetting is just another pain that would hurt him worse. 

He already feels his own memory betraying him. Becoming foggy against his will. One person can’t bear the weight of an entire nation. But everyone expects him to be enough. The more people ask him questions the less sure he is of the answer. He failed them so much already. He can’t fail them here too.

He needs to be anywhere but here in the fire nation palace. Near the meetings of endless questions and endless false history. The lies he is supposed to clear away so everyone else can see clearly. He feels like he is just absorbing it instead. All he can do is go somewhere the questions won’t follow.

Which is how he ended up on the roof near his room of the fire nation palace. Waiting for the sunset with unseeing eyes. He had thought that coming outside would make the buzzing in his body go away. It didn’t. The need to run away just manifested in rubbing the heel of his hands against his thighs. Wanting to tear his body apart until he is just dust in the wind.  _ The monks taught me that I had to detach myself in order for my spirit to be free. _ He knows that they didn’t mean to feel nothing about everything. He wishes they did mean that, it would be so much easier. Slowly he incases his heart with ice. Now even the buzzing is frozen. Aang is as he has always been; the boy in the iceberg, the last airbender. 

_ Katara _

She has been told she worries too much. By her brother, father, gran gran, and Aang. Aang. The cause of her most recent worry. Aang has no problem sharing his joy with the world. Sometimes she thinks that is the problem Aang is giving all of his joy to the world and not keeping any for himself. But she is almost to the fire nation capital. So she can return all that love and then some back to him. 

Traveling by airship is not as fast or as fun as a sky bison but it is faster than a boat. But it still takes longer than she would have liked. Long enough that she started biting her nails with her worry. His letters had been concerning. His latest one more so. She flattened it out to read it even though she read it so many times she could recite it on her deathbed. 

_ Dear Kat,  _

_ How are things going in the South? I could really use something good right now. I am sorry for not writing back sooner but I have been busy. I am just really tired I guess. This is more exhausting than I had guessed. And I miss you more than I could ever express in a letter. That reminds me, about what you said about Sokka, and how annoying he is being. Just ignore him. He makes fun of our ‘oogies’ when I am there; it only makes sense that he would make fun of you for ‘moping around in my absence’. Which I am sure you are not doing. (But if you are I would be glad I am not the only one missing being together).  _

_ I know you are wanting to know how the meetings are going. I am just going to say they are not a lot of fun. There is so much false history and knowledge. I don’t know if I will ever be able to fix it all. I was angry at first. But now I am just tired. Even though you aren’t here ‘talking’ to you has helped me. I love you Katara.  _

_ Go penguin sledding for me,  _

_ Aang  _

She had wanted to go with him for this. He had insisted that she stay in the South where she was needed. Well she is going where she is needed it is just no longer in the south pole. He can go penguin sledding with her himself. She shouldn’t have let him convince her to stay. Zuko is horrible at reading people he would never notice if Aang started to crack under the weight being put on him. 

No one should have to bring back the legacy of an entire nation on their own. Or at least without support, which is all she could offer Aang. All anyone could offer him. Protectiveness seized her heart as it often does when it comes to Aang. How could someone so good and full of love be put through so much. It made her willing to fight anything and everything that would ever even look in his direction wrong. 

_ Make one step backwards. Give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang. And I will make sure your destiny ends right then and there. Permanently.  _ Her words to Zuko from years ago floated back into her mind. Some things will never change. 

A jolt went through the air ship. They had finally landed. As quickly as possible she made her way out of the airship. Squinting in the general direction of the sun she gathered that it was just about sunset. Perfect. It is an acceptable time for her to steal Aang away. 

No one knew where he was. Not even Zuko or Appa. Even though Zuko is the world best at finding the avatar Katara was taking her chances with Appa. To avoid having to shoo Zuko away when he didn’t pick up on the subtle clues to get lost and for the chance that Aang flew somewhere. She liked to think she was second best in the world at finding Aang. Where she lacked in experience she had in knowledge on Aang. Aang likes to be high in the air when is upset. He also likes to run as far away as possible. 

It took a while but she eventually found him on a roof. Near, if she was correct, his room. She made her way off of Appa onto the roof near him. Appa flew off but not without giving Aang a concerned look and a meaningful one to her. Aang had gone still when he heard her come on Appa. But she still noticed the places where his skin had been rubbed raw.

Aang looked up and smiled, even though tears stained his cheeks. And she knew he was doing it to make her happy to reassure her that he was okay. He had done the same thing when she had brought him back to life after Azula shot him with lightning. It breaks her heart.

“You don’t need to do that,” she says gently. 

“Do what?” fake laughter and teasing in his voice.

“What you just did. You don’t have to pretend you're okay. I know you more than enough to know it is fake,” she sits next to him, leaning her side a bit into him. He leans back. His eyes close as he rests his head almost on top of hers. He had grown in the weeks in between she had seen him last. She wraps her arms around him. Trying her hardest to communicate without words that he would never be alone because he would always have her. 

He shifts so he can bury his head in her neck. His tears soak into her shirt as he falls apart. All she can do is pull him closer, hold him tighter. She runs her hands along his tattoos on his arms, making her way to his hands. Which are freezing and out of place in the fire nation. Even though day is giving way to night and the tiles of the roof they are sitting on are cooling down it is still almost suffocatingly hot. She tries to rub warmth back into his hands and holds them like they are precious. 

Eventually his fingers tighten on hers knotting them together. And the tears have stopped coming. He is coming out of the ice he encased himself in. She sighs and lets her worry melt away as she leans into him. Letting him support her as she supports him. 

“I missed you” he whispers somewhere near her ear making her shiver. In response to her shivering the air around them warms. Perks of the Avatar being your boyfriend, though that trick is more useful when it is cold. Or for other things. 

“I missed you too Aang,” she paused to look into his eyes, “I was worried about you,” 

“Oh.” he frowned, “I am sorry I didn’t want you to worry,” the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. That he was sorry for making her worry and that he had kept the worst of it from her. He said as such. 

“Aang I am your best friend and girlfriend I am going to notice when you're hurting,” she is very unimpressed with him, best friend and boyfriend or not. The goofy grin appearing on Aang’s face is out of place for the conversation they are having. She raises her eyebrow in question. 

“You’re my girlfriend,” he giggles like a schoolgirl. She hides her smile, rolling her eyes at him. 

“It has been how many years?” she says exasperated. 

“It will never not be exciting. You are the best ever, sweetie,” his smile becomes almost reverent with his words. She can’t stop the blush that blooms on her cheeks. Even though she knows Aang is just avoiding the original conversation. 

“It has been how many years? And you are still blushing,” he teases, making her face burn brighter. She buries her face into his chest to avoid the laughter in his eyes. It makes her smile though. For a long time they sat there listening to each other's breath. This is one of the moments she would freeze time in and stay there forever if she could. 

Aang gently shakes her awake. She hadn’t realized she had fallen asleep. It seemed to only be a little later, the moon still rising in the sky. 

“We should go inside,” Aang said. She just nodded her head dumbly, still half asleep. Her eyes fluttered closed again and she felt Aang pick her up, cradling her against him. She heard the familiar swish of his glider. She also felt Aang move to the side of the roof, instantly becoming more awake. Tightening her hold on his shoulders before he gracefully dived off the side of the roof, laughing at her. She would have screamed if her stomach hadn’t been in her throat. She was fine with flying and gliding but she would never be fine with falling like that. 

Aang smoothly landed in his room through his open window. He gently put her down on his bed and went to move away but she kept her arms around him. Trying to get him to snuggle with her. They hadn’t lost contact in what felt like hours. She wasn’t about to break that now. Aang had other ideas though. He detached her from him and went to shut the window and place his glider by it. 

When he got back she was half way curled up in his blankets. Halfway to falling asleep again after being woken up with falling. Tugging off both of their shoes and taking off the outermost layer of their clothing he joined her. She moved into him greedily. She had missed him, especially as a pillow. He kissed her forehead and whispered. 

“Thank you,” 

“For what?” she asked sleepily. 

“For coming here today. I needed you more than I wanted to recognize. I meant what I said earlier you are the best ever. You make me feel so loved and understood, and not so alone even when I feel lonely to my bones. I… I just thank you,” sugary warmth spread through her body. 

“I am only returning the love you give me Aang. But your welcome. I love you,” pressing her forehead against his. 

“I love you Katara,” as she drifted asleep she thought that she would never get tired of hearing that from him.


End file.
